‘Come with a story – read, sing or mime – just make sure you come with a story,’ read the email addressed to members of the newly-formed ‘Storyteller’s Club’, Auroville. It was their first gathering at the house under the rain tree. As a full moon shone brilliantly above them, they all came forward with a tale to recount…
A few hours later, after the last story was read, the host enquired, “Has everybody finished? Have all of you shared your stories?” As everybody nodded in unison, a feeble, delicate voice interrupted. “Greetings,” it said, “I have one for you.” The crowd looked around curiously, wondering who the voice belonged to. Then it spoke again. And they all listened. “I may not be visible to you, but I am amongst you, tonight. I have been here all evening and have listened patiently. To every word said, every story read, every emotion unspoken. I am a Dragonfly. And I thank you for the storytelling, for it is stories that I seek.
The Wanderer
I am a wanderer, a traveller, a friend of the wind – and for a very short, crucial period in my life, I am a collector of stories, a gatherer of lore and in the end, a storyteller, much like yourself. And for all the tales you have recounted tonight, I give thanks by leaving behind another… the story of my life. I am not just any Dragonfly, I am the intrepid, the enduring, the unrelenting Pantala flavescens. Or as I’m otherwise known – the globe skimmer.
Ordinary Miracle
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